Is this something new that mexico has access to? If not i am curious as why all of sudden for the past several months mexuco has turned away travelers that have vacationed there many ttimes previously. I am also wondering if they are allowing anyone with a past criminal record in.

It's not that new. Mexico have modernized their border management a few years ago. But there have been some changes in their Immigration Act and now immigration officers are well-trained and apply the law. I've been watching them when I went recently and being a former immigration officer myself, I found that they do a very good job. They work almost the same way that we do in Canada.